Alonso downplays suggestions of impending WEC switch

Fernando Alonso has played down his recent comments suggesting he has a future in the FIA World Endurance Championship, saying that he has no definite timetable for an eventual move to sportscar racing.

In a video to acknowledge Mark Webber’s retirement played during the WEC season-ending party in Bahrain, Alonso joked that he was disappointed that the Australian was leaving the series before he joined “his adventure”.

But, speaking in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, the McLaren driver - who remains under contract to the Woking team until the end of 2017 - insisted that his priority remains to win another world championship in F1.

“It’s nothing new what I said in that message, which has become quite famous right now,” said Alonso.

“I’m committed to F1 100 percent next year here with the team, and then in the future it’s no doubt that it’s a very attractive challenge, and very attractive thing to do, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, for me.

"I like the category, I like the cars, and as I said, it’s a good challenge.

“But that future, I don’t know if it means in two years’ time, in five years’ time, or in 11 years’ time. I don’t know yet. It’s nothing new.

"The first thing that I want to do, and I will do, is to win a third world championship in F1, and then I see.”